Feds Refuse to Hand Over Some Immigrant Suspects to California Custody, Citing ‘Sanctuary State’ Law

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Students at a 2017 rally in Highland Park in support of SB 54. Federal authorities have cited the so-called sanctuary state measure in refusing to hand over some criminal suspects to state law enforcement officials. (Credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Feds Refuse to Hand Over Some Immigrant Suspects to California Custody, Citing ‘Sanctuary State’ Law

Students at a 2017 rally in Highland Park in support of SB 54. Federal authorities have cited the so-called sanctuary state measure in refusing to hand over some criminal suspects to state law enforcement officials. (Credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

As California moves ahead with policies to limit law enforcement cooperation on immigration-related offenses, U.S. authorities are responding in kind.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in recent months have refused to transfer some suspects wanted by California law enforcement agencies for crimes including sexual assault and drug possession.

The new approach breaks long-established law enforcement custody protocols and is escalating tension between the federal government and California over the so-called sanctuary state law.

For years, criminal suspects encountered by U.S. immigration agents, either along the border or at ports of entry such as airports, have routinely been transferred to state agencies.